Jar-clamp.



No. 731,690. PATENTED JUNE 23,l 1903.,

` V E. J. KRAETZER.

r JAR CLAMP. APPLIOATION FILED 2, 1902.

NQ MODEL.

NEWM-S 3S l and turns down at either side to make attachment with theneck ofthe jar bytheA m To ntllpchom tm/ay con/cern.-r

m UNITED STATES PATENT Patented J une 23, 1903;

OFFICE.

xJR-CLAMM `sPnCIFIo.Arlon forminpafeof Letters raten ne.V 731,690, datenJunges,- ieo. g

Applicantileseicemter 2, .1902. stanno/121,742. (Nomen.)

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. KRAETZER, a citiaenofthe United States,resid-ing at Somerville,` `in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and usefullm'provement in Jar-Clamps,`of which the following is a full,clear, and exactdescrip-.tion, referencebeing hadto the accompanymeans more simple inconstruction and` op-V placement.

-i tion, of which reference will hereinafter be` ing drawings, forming apart of this specification, in explaining its nature.

My invention relatesto'an improved clamp for securing the coversof fruitor like jars where a hermetic seal is desired to be ob tained. a

` The object of my invention is to devise a eration than thosewhichvhave heretofore been made and less'expensivefto manufac# ture.Accordingly Ihaveldevised a means the construction'and operation of`which can best be seenand understood by detailed description,with'reference to the drawings,`

wherein-f Figurel is a vertical cross-section of the jar and cover,showing my device in unlocked placement. Fig. 2 shows the-same in lockedFig. 3 shows the clamping `device` in detailed combination. Fig. 4;shows a blank from which a bent lever is obtained. Fig. 5 shows amodified means of combina'- made. a i Referring to thedrawings,'A'represents strap which when placed in position extendstransversely across the cover A' of the jar A2 flanged ends dat turningin beneath the an` nular rim' n', f ormedvthereon.

The strap A" is preferably turned to t close in and around the cover ofthe jar, and its flanged 'ends hug the neck of the jarftightly,

` by a sliding lateral movement.

so thatpreparatorytothe cover beingclamped down the strap would b`esufficient to hold the cover in place, althoughits flt is such that itcan be easily slipped on or off the jar The strap is made of somesuitable metal which retains its shape Welland is possessed of more orless resisting resiliency.

Itis evident from the construction and `placement ofthe strap A and witha relative referencethat if a wedgeable `piece be inserted between thecover and th@ `strap the cover would be held tightly pressed orclampeddown upon the jar or ratheragainst `the interpos3d rubber washer A3, andthis pressure would be measured by the yielding resilient stress of theband if the wedged piece` be intei-posed with sufficient forcetoovercome its rigidity. I have provided, therefore, for holding the coverclamped down and for utilizing the yielding resiliency of the strap bymeans of the bent lever B, which comprises the power-arm b and lever-armb', bentto have an obtuse angular relationship to each other. The leveris fulcrumed against the strap at or near its center, while the end ofthe leverarm, Wipes along the top surfacing of the Acover, made smoothand preferably concaved fto receive it; and in this 'connection I wish`it to be observed that I prefer to have the lever-arm wipe directlyalong the smooth surfacing of the cover itself instead of along someinterposed piece, as might be done. This movement of the lever-armresults in its @bearing against the cover of the jar with a'considerable degree of pressure, for byreference to Fig. l it willbeseen that Athe space between the upper surfacing of the cover and thestrap is somewhat shorter than the length of the lever-arm, and as thelength of this arm remains constant and being turned by the power-armfrom the point of fulcru mage as a center the are prescribed would bringthe end of the arm to bear and wipe with a relatively increasing degreeof intensity along the cover and until the lever-arm occupies theposition shown in the dotted lines of Fig.

'l or that corresponding with a perpendicular alinement between thestrap and the cover. In other words, the arm b is drawn by the 'I oopower-arm b, wedged between the strap and the coverl of the jar, theshoulders b2 thereof bearing up against the strap, while the lower edgebears against the cover. This action of the lever-arm is possible byreason of the resiliency of the strap,which springs sufficiently topermit of the wedging insertion and so that the pressure of thelever-arm against the cover becomes and is practically measured bytheresilient stress of the strap, which is of a constant but yielding kindof pressure.

Not only is the leverfarm drawn in so that it becomes wedged between thecover and the springingstrap,but it becomes locked in place. This isobtained, primarily, from the obtuse angularjointu re of the lever tothe power-arm, for after the lever-arm has been drawn to the positionshown in the dotted lines of Fig. l, which marks the center of itsmovement-that is, relatively to the jar-cover-it is moved past suchcenter to the position shown relatively in Fig. 2, where it isrepresented as locked in place.

Now after the lever has passed the center, as before described, itbegins to hold an angular placement relatively to the cover againstwhich it bears, and with the surfacing of the cover made comparativelysmooth and with the resilient stress of the arm bearing down upon thelever-arm thetendency would be for it tovslip, and so become displaced.This tendency, however, is taken advantage of, and the arm b becomeslocked in place by the power-arm being snapped down to bear against theupper surfacing of the strap, its angular jointure to the leverarm beingsuch that it will contact with the strap, and so retain the bearing-armb of the lever locked at the point of desired placement. The release ofthe wedged lever-arm b', and so the unclamping of the cover, is obtainedsimply by reversing the arm b, and in this connection my preference isto make the arm as thin as possible to lie flat against the uppersurfacing of the strap, so that in order to reverse it a thin blademight be inserted. The power arm may be of any sufficient length, and itmay have, as represented, a turned finger end if such is deemeddesirable.

The bent lever is preferably made of sheet metal. The extreme simplicityof its formation is best seen from its blank form, (shown in Fig. 4,)the lever-arm being somewhat wider than the power-arm. This provides theshoulders b2, which fulcrum against the strap, while the power-armthrust through the slotted opening therein holds the leverin place, asbefore explained. This construction is preferable by reason of itssimplicity and aptitude; but the construction may well be varied withoutdeparting from the essence of my invention, as may be seen, for example,in the modified construction shown in Fig. 5, where the lever-arm b' isheld fulcrumed against the strap to be turned by the powerarm b byhaving a slot b3 cut at vthe point of angular jointure through which thestrap passes. This necessitates of the bent lever being madel very widerelatively'to its length, and the construction, while 'not so desirableas that before made mention of, contains the spirit of -my invention,especially since a modilied means is shown for so uniting the leverwith the strap that it will form therewith its own fulcrumage or pointof pivotal turning without supplementary part.

As described, the bent lever is of separable attachment to that of thestrap, this with particular reference to the main construction, wherethe power-arm is thrust through the slot in the strap. Thisseparableness of the bent lever while possessing the advantage of asimplicity of combination with the strap might become displaced when theparts are separated from the jar; but any trouble of this account I haveanticipated by bosses b4, which are shown in Fig. 3 struck along thesides of the arm b and which may be turned out after the arm has beenthrust through the strap.

The advantages of the invention arise from its extreme simplicity, fromthe ease with which the parts are put into operating combination, fromthe efficiency ot' their operation, from the peculiar but effectivemethod of obtaining the locked placement of the lever-arm, and perhapsmore essentially from the simple and cheap way in which a very usefularticle can be manufactured.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A jar having a cover, a strapturned to tit closely over the said cover and secured to the body orneck of the jar, in combination with a bent lever the power-arm of whichhas placement to turn above said strap, while the lever-arm, heldfulcrumed up against its under surface, has placement to turn between itand the cover of the jar, and means for so forming said lever andself-combining it with the said strap that its arms will have therelative placement aforesaid, and the lever-arm be held to fulcrum upagainst the under surface of said strap, so that when actuated by thepower-arm, and turning from its said point of fulcrumage, it may beinterposed wedge-like between the cover and the strap, and so may holdthe cover pressed down, substantially as described.

2. A jar having a cover, a strap turned to fit closely over the saidcover and secured to the body or neck of the jar, in combination with abent lever the power-arm of which has placement to turn above saidstrap, while the lever-arm held fulcrumed up against its under surface,has placement to turn between it and the cover of the jar, and means forso forming the said lever and self-combining it with said strap, thatits arms will have relative placement to turn4 as aforesaid, and thepower-arm bent relatively to the lever-'arm may, when suliicientlyturned, contact with IDO IIO

the saidstrap and so may hold the lever-arm i in a wedged lockedplacement between strap` and the cover, substantially as described.

3. A jar having a cover and provided with a strap turned to it closelyover the said cover, and secured at its ends to the body orl neck of thejar, in combination with a bent lever, the lever-armof which, fulcrumedIagainst said strap, when'actuated by the power-arm is adapted to wipeand bear along the upper surfacing of said cover, means for obtainingsaid fulcrumage, comprising an opening cut through the said strapthrough which the power-arm extends, and the leverarm brought to contacttherewith, and means for so forming `said lever that its power-arm bentrelatively to the lever-arm maybe turned to contact with the strapand somay hold the lever-arm in a wedged,locked placement between the strapand the cover, substantially as described.

4. A jar having a cover and a strap of resisting resiliency turned tofit closely over Hthe said cover, and secured at its flanged ends to thebody 'or neck of the jar, in combination with a bent lever B ofrelatively thin metal plate, `having the power-arm b and lever-arm b',provided with shoulders b2, and a slotted opening a2, cut through saidstrap through which said power-armextends and by which the lever-arm maybe brought to contact therewith along its shoulder portions for a pointof fulcrumage, as and for the pur-A poses set forth.

5. A jar having a cover and a strap of re sisting resiliency turned to-iit closely over the said cover, and secured at its anged ends to thebody or neck of the jar,in combination with a bent, lever B of4relatively thin metal plate, having the power-arm b and lever-arm b',provided with shoulders h2, and

a slotted opening a2, cut through said strap Y through which saidpower-arm extends and by which the lever-arm maybe brought to contacttherewith along its shoulder portions for a point of fulcrumage, andbosses or the like for retaining said strap and leverin permanentcombination, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A jarhaving a cover, a strap of resisting resiliency turned to tclosely over the said cover and secured to the body or neck of the jar,in combination with a bent lever so formed and so uniting with said jarthat it will form its own fulcrumage therewith, or point of pivotalturning, whereby the cover of the jar may be pressed down, and means forso combining and uniting said lever with said strap, substantially asdescribed.

EDWIN J. KRAETZER.

Witnesses:

JOHNE. R. HAYES, M. D. NEWMAN.

